TWO valuable pieces of machinery, which were being used to repair the railway following the landslip at Hatfield colliery, have been stolen.
The golf buggy-style road rail vehicle and a compressor were taken from Hatfield Stainforth railway station and a railway compound in Thorne on February 27.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “The landslip at Hatfield colliery is causing significant disruption to passengers and will cost millions to repair. This kit is an essential part of the complex and lengthy work to repair the railway. We would ask anyone with any information about these thefts to contact police.”
The Kubota RTV 900 road rail vehicle was taken from a railway compound near Poffinder Wood Road in Thorne between 9pm and 9.30pm. It is thought the vehicle, which is similar to a golf buggy but with a diesel engine and is four-wheel drive, was then driven off railway lines and along rural paths to Cuckoo Lane in Hatfield.
About half an hour later, the thieves are then thought to have removed some steel fencing and towed a black and yellow Atlas Copco XAHS237 compressor away from Hatfield and Stainforth railway station.
Sgt Mark Burgess, who is investigating the thefts, said: “The repairs ongoing on the line are absolutely essential to getting the railway up and running again.
“If you have any information about the whereabouts of the machinery, or are perhaps the owner of a business which has been recently been offered machinery matching the descriptions in suspicious circumstances, I would urge you to come forward in confidence.”
The landslip has caused significant disruption to rail passengers in the area, with buses replacing all services from Doncaster to Scunthorpe and Goole, leading to substantial delays.
Anyone with information on the thefts should contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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